


DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (6/9)

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-01
Updated: 2002-02-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:35:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived atThe Basement, which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onThe Basement's collection profile.





	DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (6/9)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (6/9)

## D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (6/9)

by Aries

Title: D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (6/9)  
Author: Aries  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Unclassified  
Pairing (Primary): Mulder/Krycek  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive:   
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes:   
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: 

Summary: 

D.C. Rain II - Double or Nothing  
by Aries  
Part 6 

* * *

Fox stole another glance at his silent lover as he drove them home. 

Stress lines etched the corners of Alex's closed eyes, and his head hung low. He sat slouched so far down in his seat that despite his six-foot frame, he appeared to Fox quite small. 

Reaching across the short distance, Fox touched his lover's head, gently stroking the glossy, dark strands of hair away from his face, only to watch them fall stubbornly back into place. He got no reaction...didn't expect one, but he maintained contact hoping that it would comfort Alex in some small way. When they finally made it back to the building, he pulled into his parking space and shut the engine off, then turned to look at the other man. 

"We're home." 

Alex raised his head to look around the parking garage then dropped his gaze to his lap. Saying nothing more, Fox got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side. He opened the door and took Alex's hand. 

"Come on, baby." 

Tugging gently, he got Alex out of the car and headed toward the elevator. Once inside, he retained his hold on the younger man's hand, pulling it up to his mouth for a kiss then tilting his head to press his cheek to it. 

Alex lifted his eyes to the older man's face and found the golden-brown lashes swept downward, and an expression at once so full of tenderness and remorse that his hand began to tremble against the shadowed flesh. 

Fox's eyes opened and met those of his silent lover. Before he could say anything the doors opened, and he stepped out and led Alex down the hall. 

Reaching apartment forty-two, he unlocked the door and preceded Alex inside. He turned and waited until the younger man had crossed the threshold, then he closed the door and removed his jacket. Again taking his lover's hand, Fox guided him to the sofa and coaxed him to sit on the middle cushion. He followed, seating himself sideways in the right corner of the sofa and held his arms out. 

Alex hesitated for a moment then slowly leaned forward. An involuntary sigh escaped his lips as Fox's arms came around him, and he burrowed into the older man's warmth, again wishing for the kind of closeness he could never achieve. Fox stroked his back and scattering soft kisses in his hair, soothed his trembling. 

He knew that Fox was waiting. And that he would continue to wait patiently for as long as he had to until Alex was ready. Finally, after nearly forty minutes of absolute silence, Alex cleared his throat and forced himself to speak. 

"I tried to make myself believe...I let you convince me that it had just been a dream. Then S...Scully came with those pictures..." 

He stopped and took a deep, shaky breath. 

"What did she say to you?" Fox asked softly, rhythmically petting the sable head. 

"Sh..." Alex paused again, trying to gather the courage to say it. "She wanted...you'd think that she wanted to get rid of me, but...she didn't. Not until she got tired of me, anyway." Fox's brow creased. "What d'you mean?" 

"She wanted...me. And those pictures were supposed to be insurance against my saying no." 

Fox hadn't expected that one. He pulled the younger man far enough away to see his face. "She what?" 

Emerald eyes dropped to stare at the small space between them, and Alex said nothing. 

"Alex, she..." Fox couldn't even say it. "She wanted to..." 

"Fuck me," Alex said without emotion. "She said she wanted to know what it was I had that kept you so hot for me." 

"I had no clue. I can't...I can't believe I didn't know." 

"It wasn't hard for her to keep it from you. She simply buried it in the middle of her hatred for me." 

"I can't believe this," Fox breathed, staring hard at Alex's knee. 

"I know," Alex whispered flatly. "I had a hard time processing it too, when she showed up at my apartment and threw herself at me." 

Fox's head snapped up. "She...you mean she came on to you back in California?" 

Alex nodded. "Jesus Alex, why am I just hearing about this now?" 

"I couldn't tell you," Alex answered apologetically. "She was your best friend. I couldn't do it to you." 

Fox pulled Alex back into his arms. 

"Dammit, how blind could I be? That's why she told me where you were, isn't it? To get you back here where she could work on you." 

Alex wound his arms around Fox's waist and closed his eyes. "You had no reason to think something like that about her. I...tried to talk her out of it. Make her see that she didn't want to hurt you like that. I thought she had come to her senses. Guess she was just regrouping." 

"That brings us to this current shit. I remember talking to you that night from North Carolina. Your speech had started to slur, and you couldn't really think straight after a while. I thought you were just really tired." 

"That's what I thought too, though no matter how tired I'd been in the past, I'd never felt like that before. But I didn't suspect. What reason did I have?" 

Fox kissed the top of Alex's head. "So he drugged you somehow." 

"Must've. And he had somebody take pictures while he..." He stopped, unable to say the words. 

"Do you have any idea who he is?" Fox asked, his voice eerily calm. 

"No." 

"Are you sure?" 

Alex shook his head. "I don't recognize him." 

Fox drew a deep breath. "Well...I never wanted to see Scully again, but I guess I'll have to." 

"Why? 

"She knows who he is." 

Still, that soft, calm voice. 

"You don't need to know, Fox." 

"I do." 

"No." Alex again lifted his head, turning a pleading gaze on his lover. "I just want to forget it. Please, can't we?" 

"That man drugged you, Alex. He came into this apartment and raped you in our..." He stopped as the realization hit him. "And that's why you changed the mattress." 

"Yeah. Once I found out, I couldn't...it's bad enough sleeping in the room where it happened, but the bed..." He shook his head. "I couldn't think of a reason to replace the whole thing, so I had to settle for just the mattress." 

Fox covered his face with both hands and slowly dragged them upward, raking them through his hair again and again. 

"I can't fucking believe this," he whispered more to himself than to Alex. 

"I'm sorry Fox," the younger man croaked. "I know this is a hell of a lot more than you bargained for when you brought me back here." 

"Don't you apologize," Fox hissed, suddenly grasping Alex's upper arms, furious not with his lover but the people who had physically and emotionally fucked him over. "You're not at fault in any way, do you understand me? This is Scully's shit. And those fuckers she got to do it. And it's mine." 

Alex focused a confused stare on the older man. 

Fox's hands gentled and slid down his lover's arms. "I never should have left you. I should have listened to my gut and stayed home." A bright glaze coated first one eye then the other. "I allowed it to happen. I made you a promise to take care of you, and I fucked it up in the worst possible way." 

"No you didn't," Alex insisted, his own eyes welling up as he felt the brunt of his love's anguish. "You were doing your job. You had no way of knowing what she was up to. There was no reason for you to suspect. God Fox, please don't blame yourself." 

"I failed," Fox insisted. "I was too arrogant. Too confident I think. I was sure that I could do it right. Do right by you. But I failed you." He looked up into his lover's face, the moisture in his eyes beginning to spill over. 

"You've known about those pictures...you've known what had happened to you for weeks now. Why didn't you tell me?" 

Alex blinked, releasing the moisture in his own eyes. 

"I couldn't. How could I go to you and tell you what Scully had done?" "Did you think I wouldn't believe you?" 

"N-no, I...was pretty sure that you would. But I was still afraid." 

"Afraid of what?" 

"That it would be too much for you. It's been one thing after another since California. You've been so incredible about all of it. But everyone has a limit, and I was afraid that you might finally have reached yours with this. And I would lose you." 

Fox nodded. "You see? I failed to make you see that you could trust me to love you and stand by you no matter what. Nothing I did, nothing I said really drove it home." 

"That's not true," Alex rasped. "I trust you with my life, Fox. And I know you love me. But everything has a limit." 

"No. Not everything. There's no limit to my love for you. And there's no limit to what I'd do for you. But I couldn't make you see that. You kept this to yourself. You let it fester and eat holes in you when you should have come to me the second you found out. It's my fault that you felt you couldn't do that. I've done it all wrong. It's my fault that Scully was given the opportunity to hurt you. It's my fault you've suffered with it all this time." Fox drew a difficult breath and a fresh stream of tears ran down his cheeks. "And I don't...I don't know how to make it right." 

Alex wrapped his arms around the older man, slumping against him. 

"You don't need to do anything," he gasped, trying to fight back the sob that rose into his throat. "You believe me. You still want me. That's all I need." 

"But how long will it be," Fox asked, watching his fingers lift the silky strands of the younger man's hair only to let them drop back to his head, "before you have more doubts? I need to know what to do to make them stop." 

"There's nothing more that you can possibly do, Fox. You couldn't get any more perfect. Please stop blaming yourself. It's me." Alex's hand traveled back and forth between Fox's arm and his shoulder. "It's hard to...no one's ever given me anything without wanting plenty in return. It's not easy to change your mindset when it's been that way for more than half your life. 

"You've proven yourself over and over again to me. I don't know why I continue to be afraid. All I can do is tell you how sorry I am and beg you not to..." Alex choked back his words and wrapped himself more tightly around the other man. "...to have a little more patience. Im trying. I swear to God, Fox, I'm trying so hard." 

Closing his eyes, Fox buried his face into the curve between Alex's neck and shoulder, and the two wept softly. Several minutes later, Fox lifted his head, sniffing and dragging the back of his hands across his eyes. 

"I love you," he whispered to the younger man. "And it kills me to think about what was done to you in the one place you were supposed to be safe." 

Alex kept his head tilted downward until Fox slipped a hand under his chin and lifted. He searched the watery, green depths, and the pain in his heart increased triple fold. 

"He's going to pay." 

A question began to form in Alex's eyes, but he answered it himself seconds later. 

"You...Fox, no, please." 

"I can't let this fucker walk around free and clear after what he did." 

"Y-you don't even know who he is. _I_ don't know who he is." 

"Like I said, Scully knows. And she's going to tell me or I'll beat it out of her." 

"No. Just leave her alone, okay? I want to forget about this. I don't...I don't want to think about it any more." He raised a hand to Fox's head, frantically stroking the older man's hair. "I want to go back to you and me. Can we do that? Please? No more Scully, no more..." 

Fox's breath caught in his throat as Alex pitched forward, covering his lips in a sudden, desperate kiss. He submitted to the unexpected blitz, letting Alex pin him to the corner of the sofa, but as the younger man's movements became more agitated, he wedged his hands between them and gently pushed him a few inches away. 

"It's okay, baby. Take it easy. I won't go to Scully." 

"I wasn't trying to...I just..." Alex's eyes began to well up again. "I need you, Fox. I need to touch you and...and..." 

Fox pulled his lover back into his arms, crushing him to his chest as he initiated the second kiss. 

Whatever Alex needed. Anything he needed. 

Alex whimpered into the soft mouth, feeling the transition occur. Fox was shifting from revenge-driven, guilt-ridden man to sweetly demanding, bone-meltingly hot lover. No gear grinding, no jerky stops and starts. Just a smooth conversion all within the time it would take to draw a good breath. 

JesusChristalmighty, how could he ever think that he had failed Alex in any way? He was dead on, fucking god status per-fect. 

Alex hung on to the older man as he was smoothly maneuvered onto his back, surrendering the whole of himself to his lover's desire. Fox settled over him, blanketing him in his warmth, and he gave Alex everything he could ask for and more. 

Kisses that soothed his heart even as they seared his blood. Caresses so tender, brushing over satiny skin, giving rise to fine gooseflesh. His voice, so low and breathless, whispering words of overwhelming love. 

Alex raked his fingers through Fox's hair, anchoring them in the thick, golden-brown strands at the back of his lover's head, and he opened his mouth, welcoming the coming invasion. His moans of pleasure as Fox's tongue lazily stroked the interior of his mouth turned to insistent whimpers when a wandering hand stroked over his chest and lingered on a hardening nipple. Sucking delicately on Alex's tongue, Fox pinched the pebbled flesh beneath the soft material of his shirt, creating a contrast of sensation and pulling a hard gasp from the younger man. Tugging firmly on the nipple as he gently teased Alex's mouth, he drew the moment out, his body throbbing in response to the sensuous snarl his action prompted from the other man. He broke the kiss and looked down at Alex, holding him captive in the blistering heat of his gaze, then began to slowly unbutton the entranced man's shirt. 

A pass of the incredibly talented tongue followed the pop of each button, and Alex arched into every caress, wanting to feel it forever. The glide of soft velvet over the trembling muscles of his abdomen scrambled his thoughts and set his nerves on edge, and as it reached the waistband of his jeans, his cock strained painfully against the denim. 

Fox lifted his head in time to observe to pained grimace on his lover's face, and he understood. He kissed the solid mound then rested his cheek there and focused a look of sympathy on the younger man. "Getting a little tight?" 

Alex nodded silently. 

"Let me fix that for you." Deftly, Fox undid Alex's jeans and pulled them down to his hips, receiving assistance from the other man for the second third of the journey. Together, they worked the Levi's down to Alex's knees, then Fox pushed them to the younger man's ankles, where they were kicked off and away. 

Battling the urge to suck his lover's freed cock into his mouth, Fox traced the prominent veins along the shaft with the tips of his fingers, watching, entranced as it twitched and reached for him. 

God, he needed to have that thick, rigid length sliding past his lips. Down his throat. Even if he couldn't taste Alex, he wanted to feel him. Hear the low, feral moans as his fingers clenched in that taut ass, pulling him forward. He needed to drive him crazy. Make him lose complete control. Then he'd know, for that little while at least, that nothing else was lurking in the corners of his love's tortured mind. 

"Where are you..." 

"I'll be right back," Fox answered the anxious question before Alex could finish it, then he pulled himself to his feet and disappeared from the living room. 

Passing through the bedroom doorway, Fox was knocked back a step by the second realization of what had happened to Alex here. His knees turned to liquid, and he fought to catch his breath as images of his unconscious love, being touched and fucked, and posed for those goddamn pictures by that fucking scumbag, whoever he was, flooded his brain. And his ex best friend and partner had initiated the whole sordid event. 

It was...son of a bitch! It was too fucking much to take. 

He leaned against the door frame, panting heavily, trying to pull himself together before returning to Alex in the living room. 

"Come on, Mulder," he whispered. "Come on, deal with this later." 

He pushed himself away from the wall and wobbled to the nightstand, withdrawing some condoms and the lube. 

//Come on. If you go back in there like this, he'll fall apart.// 

Three deep breaths, a pause, and then two more, and he returned to the living room. The sight of Alex lying stretched over the sofa, quivering and naked except for the open shirt he still wore, helped Fox regain control and his sight of what was important right now. 

Forest-green eyes drifted open and focused on the face that hovered above, and Alex drew a deep breath as he watched Fox slowly undo the buttons on his shirt. He lay quietly as the garment dropped to the floor with a soft thud, and Fox began working on his pants. 

His eyes never leaving Alex's face as he worked, Fox commanded the younger man's complete attention. And when everything but his slate-gray boxers lay next to the shirt, he moved closer, his smoldering green and gold stare beckoning Alex to touch him. 

Still lingering in a mesmerized state, Alex sat up and traced the solid, silk-covered outline of his lover's cock with his fingers before leaning forward and nuzzling the same spot. His tongue inched out, licking the shaft through the material, and Fox moaned in pleasure at the sensation. Alex repeated the action, earning another moan, and his own cock throbbed painfully in response. 

Again. More confidently. More aggressively. 

Fox sobbed his lover's name, threading his fingers through the dark hair and holding his head in place. 

So good. Jesus God, so fucking incredible. 

Arousal building quickly to a level at which restraint would no longer be possible, Alex licked hungrily at his lover's thinly concealed cock, his breaths ending on tiny gasps and growls. His hands rose to grasp Fox's hips, but they strayed quickly, rounding the firm muscles of the older man's ass, stroking and squeezing as his teeth closed around the damp, silk-draped erection and pulled. 

"Ah, fuck," Fox grated, his fingers tightening in the younger man's hair. As quickly as that, his control snapped, and he forced Alex onto his back then stripped off his boxers and ripped open one of the packages of condoms. 

Alex waited breathlessly, anticipating a quick, hard possession, but he looked up at Fox with surprised eyes as the older man slipped the rubber onto him instead. 

Kneeling over his speechless lover, Fox leaned down and bestowed a long, tender kiss on his flushed lips then proceeded to worship his upper body with his mouth and tongue. As he teased a sensitive nipple, he squeezed a good amount of lube into his hand and reached between them, applying the cool gel. 

Alex bucked, whimpering his lover's name as the dual stimulation wound him a notch tighter. But the hand on his cock, stroking ever so gently, and the tongue flicking lightly over the tip of his nipple refused to relieve the tension, and so he gathered his frazzled wits and found the strength to take matters into his own hands. 

Fox emitted a surprised grunt as, in an impressive move, Alex grasped a handful of his hair, wrapped his free arm around his waist, and spun him onto his back. As the younger man landed on top of him, he turned a smoky, adoring gaze on him. Writhing seductively against the body covering his, he slid Alex's shirt off and dropped it to the floor, then wrapped one leg around the trim waist as Alex's mouth covered his. 

The two shared ravenous kisses as Alex lifted Fox's other leg and held it pinned to his side. Caressing the older man's thigh, he maneuvered himself into position and pushed the head of his cock between the smooth cheeks. 

Breaking from Alex's demanding mouth, Fox released a harsh breath and pushed against his lover, whining his need. The whine abruptly turned to a shocked gasp as Alex buried the rest of his cock inside of him with one swift thrust. His eyes rolled up into his head, and the thick curtain of golden-brown lashes dropped over them as his fingers dug into the other's back. 

"Alex," he whispered, arching against the man above him. "My baby, I love...love you. Don't stop. Please, I need...I...God, fuck me please, please..." 

The rush of power that having Fox beneath him and begging brought was incomparable. It was here that he knew without a doubt that Fox needed him. And it was now that he was sure beyond all reservation that he could be exactly what his lover wanted and never suffer a thought of disappointing him. 

A series of furious snarls rose up from Fox's throat as Alex repeatedly withdrew and slammed into him with all his strength. Raking his fingers down the length of his lover's back, his lust-crazed mind never gave thought to the welts that would later rise in their wake. Nor was he conscious of the fact that their partially open bedroom window allowed the sounds to be heard down on the third floor, where the neighbors directly below them listened from their own fire escape... 

"I can't believe all the action this guy's been getting lately," the male of the pair said. "For years nothing, and then wham! He's gettin' it every friggin' day. Sometimes more than once a day." 

"Yep," the woman answered. "Oh, and by the way? I hate to upset your fine, homophobic sensibilities, but...I was right. He _is_ living with another man." 

"What? Oh, come on Candace, he's an FBI agent for Christ's sake." 

"I saw them, Ray. Today. They were coming into the building, and they were holding hands." "Are you shittin' me?" 

"Nope." 

"Oh, God." 

"I told you that other voice was way too deep to be a woman's. But do you ever listen to me? Noooo." 

"So, you mean to tell me we're out here listening to two men go at it?" 

The woman grinned. "Uh huh." 

"Shit. Oh, shit." The man rose and started to climb back through the window. "I'm outta here." 

"What's so different about it now? Just because it's two guys, it doesn't change the fact that it's erotic as hell." 

The man stuck his head back out the window. "It's disgusting," he whispered. 

"It is not. You haven't seen this other one. They're gorgeous together." 

"What they look like is supposed to make a difference?" 

"It helps," the woman sighed. "Makes for a much nicer image." 

The man shuddered visibly. 

"What if it was two women, huh Ray? Would you be in there, telling me how disgusting it was, or would you still be out here, straining to hear every sound?" 

"That's different." 

"Why?" 

"It just is." 

"Typical male bullshit answer. If you don't want to listen, go inside. But shut up now, so I can hear the rest of this..." 

Fox gazed up at Alex, eyes shimmering a dreamy mix of blue, green and gold as the younger man moved slowly now inside of him. Alex stared back silently as he moved, his passion-heavy eyes saying so much more to Fox than words could have. 

Unable to keep them open any longer, Alex let his eyes close for a moment as he sank back into luxurious, slick heat. His mouth fell open as he withdrew fraction by fraction, and a gasping breath tumbled out. He opened his eyes and pulled out almost all the way then again pushed home, the constricting warmth that surrounded his cock penetrating and spreading through the rest of his body. 

Every nerve ending tingled, every taut muscle begged for relief, but the torture was just too good. Fox, just too beautiful. He had to hold on. Had to take the pleasure just a little bit farther... 

"Nooo, no," Fox wailed as Alex pulled completely out of him, but the younger man shushed his protests as he kneeled between his legs and pulled him up into a sitting position. He watched, moving to give Alex the room he needed to maneuver himself onto his back, then he crawled forward at his lover's silent urging, and stopped when directed to. The other man arched upward, nudging Fox's ass with his cock, and the perfect mouth he'd been watching so attentively, opened to speak. 

"Take it, baby." 

Struggling to control his breath, Fox lifted himself slightly to grasp his lover's cock and guide it into his slick entrance. The head slid in, and he paused, savoring the sensation. Alex allowed the small hiatus, stroking Fox's thighs and brushing his fingers through the dark hair that surrounded his swollen cock, and when Fox had relaxed, moaning softly at the pleasurable caresses, Alex grasped his hips and pulled him down as he thrust upward. A loud, gasping sob broke past the older man's lips as he was suddenly, fully impaled on his lover's cock. His head fell back, and his eyes dropped shut as Alex's fingers closed around the base of his erection, and the younger man began stroking him gently. 

"Look at me," Alex commanded softly. "I want to see your eyes." 

Fox willed himself to open his eyes, and he looked down at the man who lay beneath him. 

"Pretty eyes," Alex whispered, caressing the head of his lover's weeping cock. "So deep. So fucking sexy." 

His sigh flowed over Fox's lips as the older man leaned down for a tender kiss. They began to move in unison, joining and separating, and his hand tightened slightly, working his lover's cock with more purpose. 

Fox moaned into Alex's mouth, rocking faster against him, and the younger man issued no protest. His tongue entered the older man's mouth, tasting and teasing, and when he had him whimpering uncontrollably, he pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. He bucked hard, drawing a small cry from Fox, then bucked again, grunting as he did. 

"Come on, baby...ride me...God, yeah. That's it," Alex encouraged breathlessly as Fox obediently began to thrash against him. "Harder, Fox. Ohhhh, yeah," he moaned deeply through his teeth, jerking Fox in a firm rhythm. "Look...at me," he rasped, quickly losing the tenuous grip he had on his control. "Want...want to watch you." 

Keeping his eyes on his lover, Fox increased his speed, arching his back and clenching his muscles as he moved. The hand on his cock matched then exceeded his pace, and both men fell into a fit of frenzied convulsions, filling the room their cries. 

When the sounds faded, Fox fell forward, his head pressed to Alex's shoulder as he gasped for breath. In the haze that surrounded him, he felt one hand touch his back, sliding up and down through the sheen of perspiration that covered it, and the other rest itself on his head, massaging his damp scalp. And the voice of his love, so soft and husky from spent passion, vowing unending devotion. 

As Fox lifted his head, Alex opened his eyes and looked up into a sea of turquoise and amber, brimming with adoration. 

"My love," the older man whispered. "God, Alex, what you do to me." 

Alex blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the sudden heat that pricked at his eyes, but he could feel himself losing the battle. Before the tears fell, he pulled Fox back down, wrapping him in a fierce embrace. 

Fox felt the slight tremble of his lover's body, and he attempted to pull away, but Alex held him in place, releasing a soft sob as his arms tightened a bit more. 

"Alex?" he called softly, caressing the younger man's arm. "Baby, why are you crying?" 

Alex buried his face in the other man's hair and shook his head. 

Fox lay quietly in his lover's arms, knowing not to push the issue. If Alex wanted to talk about it, he would do so in good time. In the meantime, he continued to stroke the younger man's cooling skin and drop tender kisses over his shoulder and throat. 

Finally composed enough to speak, Alex took a steadying breath and kissed the top of Fox's head. 

"I couldn't dream up a man more perfect than you." 

"Alex," Fox moaned. "I'm not..." 

"No one else in the world would let themselves be subjected to the crap you've been through because of me and still want to have anything to do with me." 

"No one else in the world could love you the way I do," Fox answered softly then wriggled out of the younger man's embrace and looked down at him, his expression serious. "You're the center of my universe. If I didn't have you, everything else would be pointless. You have to understand that." 

"I do understand," Alex countered, sniffing again. "But what if..." 

"There is no what if." 

"There's always a what if," the younger man murmured. 

"Alex, would you do anything to purposely screw this up?" 

Alex looked at Fox as if he had two heads. 

"Never. But it doesn't mean you'll never be hurt. I saw what those pictures did to you." 

"Of course it doesn't mean that. You love, you hurt. It's a fact of life. There might be times when I hurt you. But you know I'd never do it purposely, right?" 

Alex nodded. 

"Just like I know you never would. Yes, those pictures knocked me on my ass," Fox continued. "But they didn't blind me forever to the facts. After the initial shock, I was able to rationalize everything and figure it out." He kissed the tip of his lover's nose. "You have to trust me to be able to do that, sweetheart. Do you understand? You need to trust me to trust you. 

"I'm not pushing you," Fox assured the younger man. "I know you're trying. And that's all I can ask of you." 

"You can ask anything of me," Alex replied. "I want to give you everything you need...be everything you need. I'm...I've tried so hard to make you happy, Fox, but..." 

"You do make me happy, Alex," Fox interrupted. "I've found a heaven with you I never knew existed. You're everything in the world I could ever need or want, and I'll love you till I die. Period." 

Alex fell silent, knowing that there was nothing more to say. He reached out, winding his arms around the older man and coaxing him back into his embrace. 

Fox sighed softly, luxuriating in Alex's warmth. Long minutes later, he felt a faint tugging between them. 

"Ah, damn." He lifted his head and looked down into still slightly cloudy eyes. "Baby, I think we're stuck together." 

Alex groaned softly and shifted, testing Fox's claim. 

"Oww. Oww, oww...you're right." 

Fox giggled even as he gasped, trying to gently lift himself away. 

"Okay. We gotta do this fast or we're just going to drag out the pain. You ready?" 

"No, but go ahead. On your count." 

"All right. One. Two. Three" 

Both men groaned at the pain of their sudden separation, and Alex lay wincing, gently drawing his hand up and down his abdomen as Fox kneeled above him. 

"If you think that hurt, wait till you try and take your rubber off." 

"God." Alex looked down at his spent cock and lightly fingered the hardening latex. "Maybe it won't be that bad." 

"I got an idea," Fox announced. "Let's go take a warm shower. Then it'll slide right off." 

Alex smiled at the offer and nodded. He watched the older man get to his feet, then he took the outstretched hand and let Fox pull him up and lead him into the bathroom. 

The warm water did its job, and soon Alex was painlessly separated from his condom. When he and Fox were finished showering, they dressed in comfortable jeans and t-shirts, and together prepared a light dinner. While they sat on the sofa eating and watching the news, Fox turned to the younger man and made an announcement. 

"Alex, let's move." 

"Huh?" the younger man asked, not turning his attention from the television. 

"Let's find someplace else to live." 

Alex's head snapped around, and he stared hard at the other man. 

"What?" 

Fox put his barely touched food down on the coffee table and turned to face his lover. 

"Staying in this apartment isn't good for us. I mean, I'm sitting here, eating, watching t.v., and all I can think about is what happened to you here. And if it's this heavy on my mind, I can imagine how it's affecting you. I hate that you've slept in that bed for this long, torturing yourself." 

"Fox, this is your apartment. It's been your home for..." 

"It's our home. And something terrible happened to you here. Something that'll haunt you... _us_ for a very long time. Certainly as long as we're here. I want to start fresh. Someplace new. Someplace with no bad memories." 

Alex hesitated as he thought about the proposal. Knowing that Fox would hear the truth in his voice if he attempted to lie, he leaned against the older man, speaking softly. 

"I'd like to do that." 

Fox kissed the top of Alex's head and reached for the paper. 

"Then we will. How about an apartment for now? At least for the next year, then when I'm out of the Bureau, we can decide where we want to live, and find a house there." 

Alex rubbed his cheek against the older man's chest then looked up at him, deep gratitude shining in his eyes. 

"Okay." 

The two settled down with the paper, carefully scouring the rental ads and debating over several prospects. 

"...Yeah, but that one's at least an hour's drive from work," Alex argued against one of Fox's choices. 

"I know," Fox sighed. "But it was Scully I was thinking about. I just don't want to be anywhere near her." 

"She won't bother us," Alex presumed. "Not after the way you lit into her. And if she wanted to mess with us, I really don't think that distance would be an issue." 

"I guess." 

"Hey, this one sounds good. Spacious two bedroom. Eat-in kitchen, large living room/dining room. One and a half-baths." 

"Yeah, it..." Fox rubbed the back of his head, scowling at the paper. "Oh, wait. I know why it sounds familiar. Well, the address anyway." 

"Why?" 

"This is in Skinner's building." 

"You sure? I mean, I know it's in Crystal City, but..." 

"Positive." 

Alex looked down, hiding his expression. 

"Oh." 

"Is that a bad thing?" Fox asked. "You did seem interested in it. It sounds perfect for us. A lot bigger than what we've got here." 

"Yeah. Yeah, it does." 

"And maybe Skinner could put in a word for us." 

Alex pulled himself out of his lover's arms and sat at the edge of the sofa, looking down at his shoes. 

"I suppose." 

"Babe, he's okay, really. I don't know if you realize it, but he helped you over at Scully's place. He stopped you from killing her, and when I walked in, he was telling you that everything was going to be all right. That we were going to be all right." 

"...He did?" 

"Yeah." 

"I don't..." Alex drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't remember." 

"I didn't think you would. You were pretty wound up." Fox slid forward and rested his cheek against Alex's shoulder. "He told me to take you home and convince you that everything was okay. He's on our side, babe. For whatever reason, he's for us." 

"And you don't think he's up to anything?" 

"Dirty tricks aren't Skinner's style." 

"You didn't think they were Scully's either." 

Fox thought on his lover's reply for a minute then nodded. 

"That's true. Look, Alex. I trust that Skinner's on the up and up, but if you don't, we can forget about the apartment. There are plenty more here we can consider." 

Alex sighed softly and let his head drop to the side, resting it against his lover's. 

"I'm sorry Fox. We...we can keep it on the list. If you trust Skinner, then really, it's good enough for me. I trust you." 

"Thank you, baby. But we both have to be a hundred percent satisfied with our choice." 

"I want to look at it," Alex argued, figuring that once they got there, he could find enough wrong with the apartment to strike it from the list but give Fox the satisfaction of having at least seen the place. "And hey, if we take it, you and he can car pool to work." 

"Riiight. And we can borrow cups of flour and sugar from each other too? Maybe we can get together for a game of gin." Fox grinned, rubbing his head against Alex's. "I don't think we'd have to worry about him knocking at our door every hour. But, look. We'll put it last on the list. Sort of as a standby. Okay?" 

"That's fine," Alex answered, incurring a questioning look from the other man. "Really. It is." 

Fox gave the younger man a soft smile then leaned back against the leather cushions, pulling him along. 

"Here's another one. One bedroom, gourmet kitchen..." 

"Nah." 

"What nah? You didn't even let me finish. Two walk in closets..." 

"No, it's only got one bedroom." 

"So who needs more than one? It's not like we're going to have guests or...ohhh, unless you plan on relegating me to the spare bedroom whenever I piss you off." 

"Of course not," Alex smirked, amazingly for all he'd endured today, feeling playful. "If you piss me off, I'll just shoot you." 

Fox cast a deadpan look at the younger man for a short while then quickly threw him down onto his back, straddling him so that he was unable to get up. 

"You'll just what?" 

Alex gave the older man a challenging grin. 

"You need me to repeat it? Oh, shit!" he squealed with laughter as Fox's fingers located and began to torment the area just under his ribs, which he'd discovered were extremely ticklish. "No! Come on, Fox, I was just having a little fun with you!" he shouted between attempts to breathe. 

"So am I," Fox answered, breaking off the attack. "Isn't this a blast?" 

The tickling resumed, and Alex screeched, laughing too hard to find the strength to fight his lover off. 

"Stop! Cut it out, dammit! Ah, you prick!" 

When Alex was too winded to curse anymore, Fox let him off the hook. He sat astride the younger man's hips and looked down into gleaming green eyes, and he smiled. 

"So, we've got eight prospects. You want to go with those and see what happens, or do you want to make a secondary list?" 

"No," Alex gasped. "That's good. If we don't find anything from those choices, then we can start over. By that time, there should be some new listings." 

"Okay." Fox moved to get off of Alex, and the other man flinched, his arms automatically coming up to protect himself. 

"What? I wasn't going to tickle you again." 

Alex tossed the older man a suspicious look but said nothing. 

"You don't believe me?" 

"Not really, no." 

"Okay, I'm hurt." 

"Awww." 

Fox turned a beautiful pout on Alex, and the younger man felt his cock twitch. 

"Oh, that's just low." 

"What is?" 

"You know what. You harass me, then you go and pull that lip and make me go all squishy inside." 

"For the record, you started it and..." Fox's pout turned to a tiny grin. "You're squishy?" 

"Parts of me," the other answered softly. 

"What about other parts?" 

Alex grasped Fox's hand and directed it down to the growing bulge at the front of his jeans. 

"That's nice," Fox murmured, lightly stroking the now rock-solid mound. 

"How 'bout a closer look?" Alex asked, unbuttoning his jeans as he sat back and smirked at his lover. 

"Ooooh, can I?" 

Alex shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. 

"Knock yourself out." 

"You're too good to me," Fox tossed back, digging into his back pocket and pulling a few condoms out. He tossed them onto the cushion beside them, and Alex chuckled softly. 

"I'm learning," Fox responded to the implied comment as he drew his lover's zipper down. 

"Learning?" Alex asked on an aroused moan as Fox liberated his cock and caressed its velvety length. 

"Mmm hmm. To always be prepared." 

"Ooh, a boyscout. Would you put on one of those cute little uniforms and show me how to start a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together?" 

"I'll pass on those little khaki shorts and neck kerchief if you don't mind, but as for that other thing..." Fox took his lover's hand and placed it over his own denim-covered erection. "I think we could do a hands-on demonstration." 

Fox pushed the coffee table out into the middle of the room, and dragged Alex down to the floor, where the two made love for the next hour before he left his exhausted lover with a kiss on the nose and retreated into the bedroom. 

Alex sat up, listening to the shuffling sounds coming from the other room then watching as the older man reappeared, wrestling the new mattress into the living room. 

"What...Fox, what are you doing?" 

"We're not..." Fox started then stopped as he jerked the mattress through the doorway. "...sleeping in there any more." 

"We're not?" 

"No." 

"Ssssso, we're gonna sleep out here in the living room?" 

"Uh huh." 

Alex didn't need to ask why; he knew. Sweet lunatic. 

"Yeah, but Fox...umm..." He looked around the not-so-large living room and back at the other man. 

"I know it could take a while before we find another place," Fox said in answer to Alex's unasked question. "But tell me you don't hate sleeping in there now." 

Alex opened his mouth and closed it, knowing as Fox did that there was only one honest answer that he could give. He got up and started moving things around to make room for the mattress, and when it was set in the middle of the floor, he leaned into Fox's embrace, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. 

"Gonna look awfully weird having a mattress in the middle of the living room," he stated softly. 

"Who's going to see it besides me and you?" Fox answered, stroking Alex's bare back. "Besides, we can stand it up against the wall in the daytime so neither of us trips over it." 

"Okay, but we're going to have to find a place real soon," Alex moaned, thinking he probably couldn't take looking at a mattress against the living room wall for much longer than a week. 

"We can get started tomorrow, okay?" 

Alex agreed, and the night ended a couple of hours later with him fast asleep, wrapped in the shelter of Fox's arms. 

From their new and hopefully very temporary bed, Fox stared up at the ceiling, seeing next to nothing in the darkness. 

He'd done well. He hadn't thought he'd had it in him, but goddamn, he should be considered for an Emmy. The amount of discipline he had to call up to remain calm enough to give Alex the comfort he needed was nothing short of phenomenal. And now he lay here, his heart breaking at the thought of the hell Alex had endured, and his mind screaming for revenge against those who had had the audacity to think that they could hurt him like this and get away with it. 

Their time would come, he vowed silently as he tightened his arms around the slumbering man. And it would come sooner than anyone thought. 

Three days later 

The two men drove away from the next to the last apartment on the list, and the passenger cast a wary glance at the driver. 

"Well, I guess we'd better call Crystal City." 

"We can check tomorrow's paper," Fox answered, stopping to let a jogger and her dog cross the street. 

"Yeah, but we agreed to see the apartment in Skinner's building if all the others on the list fell through. They have, so let's call." 

"Alex, I...babe, I know you're not comfortable with that, and I refuse to do anything you don't feel right about." 

"You need me to trust you, Fox," Alex argued. " _I_ need me to trust you. Im trying to do that here. I want to do it. Please, let's just call." 

The car behind them beeped impatiently, drawing Fox's attention away from the twin pools of emerald green, and he drove on, clearing his throat. 

"You don't need to do anything you don't want to do just to prove that you trust me, Alex." 

"Finding someplace where we can start fresh is what I want," Alex replied. "Though sometimes I wonder if it's possible to do that anywhere." 

"Of course it's possible," Fox insisted. "You'll see how different things will be in another place." 

"I want to. We have to Fox, I...Christ, I hate that we have to sleep on a mattress in the middle of the living room because we can't sleep in the bedroom, because Scully hired some asshole to come in and... _fuck_. I hate thinking about it. And I hated lying to you, and..." He was rolling and couldn't stop. "...and I really hate that we seem unable to live a normal, happy life, and I really, really hate that I've got you tangled up in all this bullshit..." 

As Alex ranted, Fox pulled onto a side street and parked. 

"...We're supposed to be on our way to an ordinary, peaceful life, instead all this shit keeps happening, and I can't...I really can't blame anyone but myself, can I?" Alex asked the dashboard. "I mean," he laughed harshly, "I set the wheels in motion, you know? A long...God, such a fucking long time ago. And now, sometimes it feels like I'm screaming downhill, and there are no brakes. I'm going to end up in a twisted wreck when I finally reach the bottom, and I can't stop it. I can't stop it, Fox, I can't..." 

Blindsided by the younger man's sudden meltdown, Fox could only pull Alex into his arms and hold him while they both shook violently. 

"It's all right," he breathed after a considerably long time. "It'll be all right. I promise, baby. I swear. Just please hang on, okay?" 

Alex clung to Fox's jacket, intermittent shudders still rattling him. 

"Can we s-see the last place?" he asked. 

"Are you sure?" 

Alex nodded, clearly feeling pretty damn desperate after days of fruitless searching. 

"All right," Fox soothed, pulling his cell phone out of his inside pocket. As he called the number in his notebook, he kept one arm around Alex, gently stroking his back. He spoke briefly with the person who answered then hung up and kissed the younger man's bowed head. 

"We have an appointment tomorrow at ten." 

"It's a weekday," Alex whispered hoarsely. "You have work." 

"I'll get there when I get there." 

"Fox..." 

"I'll explain it to Skinner. He'll understand." 

Alex's head ducked lower, but he said nothing. 

"In the meantime, why don't we go see what we can do about lightening the load a little?" 

"What d'you mean?" Alex asked, almost unheard. 

Fox gave the younger man a gentle squeeze. "I'll let you throw a bunch of my stuff away. You know, get ready to move." 

Alex gave a perfunctory nod and pulled himself out of his lover's arms. The moment he did that, Fox slipped a hand under his chin and lifted. When their eyes met, the older man gave him one of those smiles that always warmed the chill that had all too often invaded his body. 

"Soon, Alex," he pledged. "If we have to start sleeping in a hotel until we find someplace we like, we'll be out of there. In fact," he said thoughtfully, "that's a good idea. Let's stay at a hotel tonight." 

"No. No, I...there's no need to stay at a hotel." 

"No need except that we're both haunted by what happened to you at the apartment. Why shouldn't we get away from it if we can?" 

"You're...God, Fox, you're way too indulgent," Alex replied, letting his gaze slip back down between them. 

Fox pulled Alex back to his chest, hugging him tightly. 

"First of all, I don't see it as indulgence. It's a necessity. And if I was being indulgent, so what? I love you, and I'll make as much of a fuss over you as I want to." 

Alex rested quietly against the older man, digesting what he'd just said. The tremors occurred at longer and longer intervals, and when they had ceased, he lifted his head and almost shyly, he kissed the other. 

"No matter how crazy things get, you always manage somehow to get me back on the ground." 

"Just being selfish," Fox answered. "Holding on to you keeps me sane." He returned the kiss then gently put Alex away from him as he turned back to the wheel. 

"Let's go do some work, then we'll get a room, okay? I know a great place to start looking." 

This time Alex put up no argument, and they drove back to the apartment, where Fox looked up the number for the St. Gregory Hotel. Tourist season in Washington wasn't yet in full swing, and he had no trouble booking a sky room. That done, Fox called Skinner to explain why he'd be late the next day, then they spent the rest of the day separating Fox's belongings into two piles. By late afternoon they'd had enough, and they packed up a few changes of clothing, and left the apartment. 

Less than an hour later, Alex was standing on the balcony of their room, looking out over the city. 

"Nice view," he said as he felt his lover's presence behind him. 

Saying nothing, Fox wrapped his arms around the younger man and pulled him back into the warm cradle of his body. 

"Reminds me a little of California," Alex mused. 

"How so?" Fox asked, nuzzling the back of the younger man's head. 

"The view is similar. But...mostly it's...it was in that hotel with you where I first felt like something better than what I was. First time I'd felt safety and comfort." Green eyes stared out at the lights below. "Like now." 

"I want you to always feel that way." 

Alex turned his head, pressing his face into the curve of his lover's neck. 

"I would never have dreamed that this could be me." 

Fox cupped the side of his lover's face, stroking the late-day stubble. "That what could be you? This sweet, vulnerable man, who laughs at my lame jokes, tries to make me eat right...keeps me organized..." He smiled and kissed Alex's cheekbone. "...has shown me the innumerable joys of loving and being loved..." 

"I haven't shown you anything." Alex turned to face the older man. Winding his arms around Fox's neck, he fixed an adoring gaze on him. "I knew want and need, but I knew nothing of love until you taught me." 

Fox chuckled softly. "I guess it was there in both of us then, and we just needed each other to bring it out." 

Alex rested his forehead against Fox's and nodded. 

"Okay, I guess I can go along with that." 

The two stood quietly, nose to nose, stroking each other, then Fox moved in slowly and brushed Alex's mouth with his own. 

"Hungry?" 

Alex nodded, letting his tongue inch out far enough to graze his lover's lower lip. 

"For food?" 

The younger man groaned then paused, giving some thought to the question. 

"I guess I could eat a little something." 

Fox grinned at the other man and led him over to the bed, where he guided him down to the mattress then picked up the hotel directory. 

"Okay, let's see..." As Fox perused the dinner menu, one hand reached out and began undoing the buttons on Alex's shirt. "...something light?" 

Alex's gaze shifted from Fox's hand to his face, but the other's eyes never strayed from the menu. 

"Yeah. Light is fine." 

Fox nodded, doing that insanity-inspiring thing that he sometimes did with his lower lip as he continued to unbutton Alex's shirt. 

"How about an antipasto, some warm, crusty bread and a bottle of wine?" 

"Sounds good," Alex whispered, closing his eyes as Fox brushed his fingers back and forth across both nipples. 

Fox picked up the phone and punched in the dining room number with one hand while the other gently caressed Alex's chest. 

"Good evening. This is Mr. Mulder in room seven-ten. I'd like to order something from your light dinner menu...I'll have the antipasto for two, the Rosmary Focaccia, a bottle of white wine...whatever goes best with it...yeah, and..." He eyed Alex hungrily as his hand dropped to the younger man's pants. "...something light and creamy for dessert. Yes, thank you." 

He hung up and directed his gaze to his lover, who sat quietly, eyes closed, immersed in pleasure. He swept the unbuttoned shirt over Alex's shoulders, letting it slide down his arms, then moved closer touching his lips to the younger man's jaw. 

"Dinner will be up in half an hour to forty-five minutes." 

Eyelashes lifting halfway, Alex nodded his acknowledgment. "What..." He cleared his throat and began again. "What do you want to do till then?" 

Fox's answer came in a low, breathy sigh as he gently pushed the younger man down onto his back. 

"I was thinking..." He pulled the rest of Alex's shirt away and began dropping warm kisses on his chest. "...that maybe..." He smiled at the soft moan that crept out from between the other's lips as he traced a circle around one nipple with his tongue. "...we could have a little appetizer." Capturing the nipple between his teeth, he pulled carefully then released it and looked down into almost black eyes. "Would you like that?" 

Alex responded with a clipped, ragged breath as Fox's hands wandered over his upper body, lightly teasing the tingling skin. He turned his head, rubbing his face in Fox's hair as his lover's tongue moved over his shoulder, and one hand came up to pet the golden-brown strands. The long sigh he emitted brought Fox's head up, and the older man focused a sparkling green and amber gaze on him. 

"Do you think you'd know me from taste alone?" 

"Hmm." Alex blinked sluggishly and frowned up at the other man. "What?" 

Fox licked the side of his lover's neck and then looked back down at him. 

"I've memorized your taste. I think I'd know you blindfolded." 

"That'd be an interesting comparison test." 

Fox laughed softly at the breathy statement. 

"Yeah. But this tongue will never touch another." 

Alex's heart pounded with joy. And then it began to ache. The innocently stated oath of fidelity reminded him with painful clarity of each and every time since he and Fox had become lovers that he'd betrayed the older man's love. 

//Don't you start. Don't you fucking dare.// 

Fox watched Alex's eyes cloud over, and he knew that yet another dark emotion was battling his tormented lover for dominance. Cupping Alex's cheek in his palm, he held the sable head still and came in for a mind-numbing kiss, gradually eradicating every thought in the younger man's head but one. 

Swinging a leg over Alex's hips, Fox bore down lightly, pressing their restrained erections together, and a moan of frustration rumbled in his mouth. He broke the kiss, letting his tongue dance over Alex's mouth before he spoke. 

"Makes you crazy, doesn't it?" he asked, grinding his crotch against the other man's. 

Whimpering, Alex nodded as he gripped Fox's ass and pushed up against him. 

"Me too," Fox whispered, his breath dancing over his lover's lips. "I want so much to rip the rest of your clothes off and fuck you until you can't stand, but our food will be coming soon, and if the bell boy knocks while I'm inside you, I'll have to kill him. So, we'll just have to behave ourselves until after dinner." 

Alex gritted his teeth, emitting a coarse groan as Fox returned his attention to his chest, licking and sucking at the erect nipples. 

"Thought you said..." The younger man stopped in mid sentence, unable to suppress a long, sobbing moan as Fox nibbled at the hardened flesh "...said we were going to behave..." 

"I did say that," Fox agreed, blowing on the nipple he'd just released from his mouth. He smiled as Alex's muscles tightened. "And we are behaving. No more clothes are coming off." 

"Then why are you undoing my pants?" 

"Just trying to make you a little more comfortable." 

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" 

"Like you wouldn't believe," Fox answered, stroking Alex now through his underwear. But it wouldn't be a good thing to answer the door with my pants hanging open, so I'll have to suffer a bit longer." 

For the next twenty-five minutes Fox teased Alex mercilessly, ignoring his lover's best attempts at pathetic begging and pleading. By the time the bellboy knocked at the door, the younger man lay in a quivering heap, unable to put two coherent words together. 

Fox kissed Alex's perspiration-dotted brow and, promising that he'd return shortly, he rose from the bed. Smiling and raking a hand through his tousled hair, he walked to the door. 

"Here's your dinner," the perky young blonde man piped as Fox opened the door, and he strolled in, wheeling the cart over to the round dining table. "Now, if there's anything else you...uh..." He'd turned to face Fox and for the first time saw the half naked man on the bed, curled around the pillow he'd pulled to his chest. "Uhhhhhhhh..." 

"Need?" 

"Huh?" 

"If there's anything else I need?" Fox asked, finishing the young man's sentence for him. 

"Yeah." Tearing his eyes away from the restless form on the bed, he looked in the general direction of the other man, for the first time noticing his half unbuttoned shirt and... 

"Oh. God. Uh..." 

Fox attempted to conceal his grin as the bellboy's eyes cut away from the hard-to-miss bulge at the front of his pants. 

"I'll call," he assured the kid in an amused tone then motioned to the door just as a voice, soft and strained called. 

"Fox..." 

"Okay, baby, I'm coming." 

Wide, watery blue eyes shifted from the bed to the ten-dollar bill that Fox now held in front of the young man's face. Gingerly, he reached up and took the money, nodding his thanks as he sidled past the much taller man and wobbled out into the hall. 

Fox smiled and waved then closed the door, dissolving into laughter as he made his way over to the bed. 

"Poor kid, I thought he was going to have a heart attack," he concluded, seating himself at the edge of the bed. Running his fingers through Alex's hair, he emitted a luxurious sigh as the younger man gravitated to his warmth, pressing himself against his thigh. "Our food is here." 

The only answer he received was a soft moan. 

"Come on sweetheart, we haven't eaten since breakfast." He tucked a hand under Alex's cheek and lifted the younger man's head. "You're going to need your strength." 

Glittering, dark eyes lifted, meeting Fox's gaze, but Alex said nothing. 

"Okay, I've got an idea," Fox purred, petting the sable head. "How about a reenactment of our first date?" 

"You call that a date?" Alex asked, voice deep and husky with frustration. 

"Well, you know, sort of." Fox leaned in, brushing the tip of nose over the other's. "What you don't want to?" 

"I didn't say that," Alex croaked, trying to move close enough to capture Fox's mouth, but the older man quickly eluded him. 

"Good. Sit up." 

Alex hauled himself up and sat quietly while Fox sauntered over to his bag and dug down to the bottom, pulling out a familiar looking black silk scarf. His body remembered it well, shaking with intense arousal as Fox approached and kneeled behind him. The silk wafted down in front of his face, and Fox secured it over his eyes then nuzzled the sensitive back of his neck. 

"I can feel you trembling," the older man whispered against Alex's neck, raising gooseflesh there. "I love that I can turn you on that much." 

"You have no idea what you do to me," Alex answered in a breathless, barely audible tone. "It's...God, it's devastating. Overwhelming," he gasped as Fox tenderly bathed the back of his neck. "I have no control. No pride. I'll take anything you have to give me and beg for more. I can't...can't get enough of you." 

Fox got to his feet and pulled the blindfolded man up, clamping his arms around him and teasing the sensitive flesh just below his jaw with his mouth. 

Alex released a small whimper as Fox began to suck at the skin, marking him. His fingers clenched in the thick, golden-brown hair, holding his lover to him as he arched against the demanding mouth. 

"Jesus Fox, please," he whispered, losing himself in Fox's hunger...offering himself to his god, begging to be consumed by the heat that now permeated every inch of him. 

Forcing himself to release his hold on Alex's throat, Fox grasped a handful of the younger man's hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. He pulled away seconds later and led the whimpering man to the table. 

"Sit down, baby," he purred. "Let's have our dinner." 

Alex sank into the chair Fox had stood him in front of, and he sighed softly as the older man moved behind him, gently stroking his hair. 

"This looks good," Fox commented as he lifted the large, silver lid off of the antipasto with one hand as the other continued to stroke the younger man. He plucked a black olive from the pile and rubbed it over Alex's top lip before pushing it into his slightly parted mouth. As Alex ate his offering, he moved away to open the bottle of wine. 

A soft clink and the sound of gurgling, fizzing liquid met Alex's ears, and then a smooth, chilled glass was being brought to his lips. The cooling liquid trickled down his throat as he took a small sip. Fox's lips followed, teasing for only a moment before his tongue pushed another bit of food into Alex's mouth. 

So erotic. Such a sensuous, loving thing. 

Alex's erection pounded rhythmically, hardening to a painful degree as he shared the morsel with Fox. The older man broke off a piece of bread, feeding it to him in the same manner then gave him another sip of wine. 

"Good?" 

Alex nodded, licking the residual moisture away from his mouth. 

Fox rounded the chair, pushing a hand between Alex's knees and parting his legs so that he could kneel between them. The hand traveled slowly up the younger man's thigh as Fox ate a little of the salad. He smiled, watching as Alex slumped in his chair, arching his hips. 

"Is this what you want?" he asked, letting his hand glide over Alex's crotch. 

The younger man groaned, pushing up against the gentle warmth. 

"Soon, baby." Fox removed his hand and continued to feed himself and Alex until the younger man would eat no more. Putting the fork down, he poured another glass of wine and held it to Alex's lips. Alex accepted the offering, taking a healthy sip as Fox observed hungrily, watching the slide of those incredible lips on the glass and imagined them wrapped around his cock. He pulled the flute away from his lover's mouth and downed the rest of the wine then again picked up the bottle. 

Alex listened to the clink of glass and the gurgle of liquid, and he knew that Fox was pouring more wine. The flute was pressed into his hand, and he was allowed to drink on his own as Fox worked his pants down and off. 

Hands, gentle, soft, grazed the skin of his chest and belly, skimming down over his thighs and coming close to but avoiding his twitching cock. 

"You know what I want to do?" Fox asked, finally brushing the backs of his fingers over the base of his lover's erection. "I want to go sit out on the balcony." 

Alex put the half-empty glass down on the table and paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. 

"You...you do?" 

"Mmm hmm. I thought it might be nice to have our desert out there." 

Alex's mouth moved as if he intended to speak, but no sound would come out. 

"Baby?" Fox called. "Do you not want to?" 

"No, I...if that's what you want." 

Fox smirked, realizing that Alex wasn't quite with the program. He rose to his feet and took the younger man's hand, pulling him. 

"Come with me." 

Alex's head turned back to the place he'd just left then he faced forward in Fox's general direction. 

"Like this?" 

Fox chuckled softly, opening the glass door, and he guided Alex down into one of the two chairs. The younger man sucked in a breath as a slippery coolness touched his chest. 

"Baby," Fox whispered, smearing the Panna Cotta over one nipple. "You're my dessert." 

Alex tried to laugh but it came out more as a gasp as the older man's tongue slid through the creamy sweetness. He attempted to relax and enjoy the older man's attentions, but his cock pounded insistently, and when Fox's mouth closed over one nipple and began to suck voraciously, his body stiffened, and he broke into a sweat despite the chilly night air. 

"Fox..." 

He was going to come, he knew he was, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Fox knew it as well, and as he wasn't yet ready to put an end to such sweet torture, he pulled away, listening to his lover's soft whimper of protest. 

"Easy," he whispered then leaned in to gently lick away the remainder of the dessert. 

Alex endured the continued torture for what seemed like an eternity. When Fox had finally removed all traces of the Italian confection and pulled back, he began to shiver and moan. 

Entranced, Fox touched the tiny, rising bumps on his lover's skin then rose to his feet, undoing his pants. 

Alex heard the soft grind of Fox's zipper, and he sucked in his breath, waiting. He listened to the rustle of material, and then Fox was lifting him out of his seat and asking him to step forward. 

"Now, reach out," the older man instructed. "The rail is in front of you." 

Alex reached out and leaned forward, his hands coming in contact with the smooth, cool metal of the railing. He sighed softly as Fox caressed his back and ass, lingering on the rounded muscles. The hands left him, he heard more movement, then Fox was leaning slightly against him, kissing and licking his back. 

"You're so damn beautiful," Fox rasped, his words and the stiff breeze that had kicked up sending an intense shudder through the younger man. He slipped a condom over Alex's cock, then his own, lubed them both, then reached up and pulled the blindfold away from the other's eyes. Alex blinked to clear his vision, and he looked out at the lights of the city. 

"We're n-not that far...far up," Alex stammered as he felt the tip of Fox's erection brush the crevice of his rear. "Someone could be watching." 

Fox looked up, his eyes scanning all that they could see. 

"Someone could be." 

"It doesn't..." Alex sucked in a harsh breath as the tip of his lover's cock penetrated him. "...oh, God...doesn't bother you?" 

"The thought is actually a bit of a turn on," Fox answered, rubbing his stubbled cheek over the younger man's shoulder then gently biting into the flesh as he slowly thrust forward. 

Alex's eyes rolled up into his head as his lashes dropped down over them, and he groaned softly as his lover filled him completely. 

"But if it bothers you, we can go in." 

Was he kidding? 

Alex was here, in a plush hotel in the heart of Washington, standing naked on a balcony with the cock of the man he loved more than life up his ass. What the fuck did he care if anyone was watching them? 

//Enjoy the show, Washington. Get your collective rocks off; you're not likely to see anything prettier than this any time soon.// 

"No," he gasped, pushing back against his lover. "Fuck me, Fox. Please, I want you so much." 

Fox wrapped an arm around Alex's waist as the other hand gripped his shoulder. 

"Okay, baby. Hang on." 

Alex's grip on the railing tightened as Fox withdrew then plunged back in, drawing a sharp, rapturous cry from them both. He spread his legs wider, wanting to give Fox all the access he could, and the older man took full advantage, pushing himself a little deeper. He forced himself to open his eyes, and he stared out at the lights, watching as they blurred and merged as Fox managed to hit his prostate. 

Fox grinned at the coarse growl that rolled in his lover's throat, and though he was himself teetering on the edge of total meltdown, he held himself in check and uncoiled his arm from around Alex's waist to grasp his cock. 

The growling grew louder as Fox began to stroke Alex's cock, and without ever realizing it, he began a loud whining that quickly turned to a wail as Fox initiated a forceful rhythm. 

"I think they'll hear us long before they see us," Fox panted, gritting his teeth as he felt the telltale tightening of his body. "C'mon, Alex," he grated, slamming harder into the younger man as his hand jerked his cock almost brutally. "Come for me. Let them hear you down on the ground." 

If the wind was right, they'd probably hear him down at the Lincoln Memorial. 

Alex tipped his head back and let loose a cry so loud, so feral, the shock of it rumbled through Fox, taking him screaming with his lover over the edge. The older man shuddered violently then collapsed over his back, too spent to move a muscle for a full minute. Finally, Fox lifted himself, moaning at the exertion, and pulled away, ridding himself of his condom. 

"Baby," he called softly, wrapping an arm around Alex's chest and pulling him away from the railing. "Come on, let's get inside. It's going to get cold now." 

Fox was right. They had both been so aroused that the chill wind had felt good against their heated skin, but now that they were both coming down off of the incredible high, they'd begun to shiver. 

Alex lay his head on his lover's shoulder and allowed himself to be led back into the warm room, where Fox stripped him of his condom, washed them both, then fell into bed, dragging Alex down with him. Some twenty minutes later, an urgent knocking sounded at the door. 

Fox lifted his head, growling at the intrusion on his much loved quiet time with Alex after they'd made love. Incurring a grumble of protest from his dozing lover, he apologized softly and dragged himself out of bed, moving toward the door. 

"Who is it?" he called, clearly irritated. 

"I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but we're checking on all of the guests. Would you open your door for just a minute please?" 

Fox sighed, looking around for something to throw on. 

"Yeah, wait a...shit. Wait a minute." 

He retrieved his pants from where he'd left them on the balcony and trudged back into the room, putting the garment on as he walked. Zipping but not bothering to button the pants, he unlocked and opened the door. 

"Why are you checking on the guests?" he asked, immediately interrogating the man at the door. 

"I'm sorry, sir." The man at the door flashed a badge. "Hotel security. Screams were heard coming from the hotel, or at least that's what the caller insisted. So, we're checking on all the guests to make sure everything is all right." 

Fox closed his eyes, willing himself not to smile. 

"Yeah, everything's...we're fine." 

The man tilted his head slightly to one side and looked past Fox and into the room. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes. I'm sure." 

Seeing the man's uncertain expression, Fox reached into his back pocket, pulling his wallet out and flashing his own badge. 

//Paper covers rock, Kojak.// 

"Special Agent Mulder, FBI. If you do find a problem elsewhere in the hotel, please inform me." 

"Yes, sir. I'll...do that. Thank you, and I'm sorry for disturbing you." 

Fox nodded, and the man was gone, leaving him standing alone in the doorway. Yawning, he backed away and closed the door then returned to the bed. He slipped out of his pants and crawled back into bed, where Alex immediately found and reclaimed his warmth. Purring contentedly, the younger man curled into his arms and dropped back into a deep sleep without missing a beat. 

Chuckling softly to himself, Fox supposed he could wait until morning to tell Alex about the trouble they'd caused. He closed his eyes and quickly followed his lover into the depths of satisfied slumber. 

* * *

"...and the closet space is most generous," the apartment manager commented, sliding open the first of the master bedroom's two closets. "The other is identical." 

Fox peered inside and looked to Alex, motioning him forward. 

"He's right, it's huge. I think we'd be able to fit our clothes in there without a struggle, huh?" 

"Yeah," Alex nodded then smiled at his lover. "The bathroom is really nice, too. And the kitchen." 

"You like it more than you hoped you would, don't you?" Fox asked gently, reading Alex's thoughts. 

Alex emitted a soft, breathy laugh. "I guess I do." 

"So, what d'you think?" 

Alex shrugged. "What do _you_ think?" 

Fox shook his head. "Nope. This is up to you. It's a really nice place, I like it, but aesthetics aren't what's important here. It's a matter of your comfort." 

"I like it too." 

"But can you live in it?" 

Alex looked around the bedroom then back to Fox. 

"Yes." 

Fox studied his lover's face for a few seconds before turning to the manager. 

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes please?" 

"Sure. I'll be in the kitchen." 

When the man was gone, Fox walked over to Alex and draped his arms around the other's waist. Alex's hands came up to rest on his biceps, and he looked into steady, hazel eyes. 

"Alex, don't tell me yes if you have even the tiniest misgiving about this place." 

"I'm not going to lie and tell you that I don't feel a little trepidation," Alex answered. "But I can live with it. This is the best place we've seen by far, and truthfully, I don't want to go back to your apartment. And I don't want to stay indefinitely in that hotel room, nice as it is. I want a place to live. Someplace we can call ours, even if it is rented. I want someplace with rooms. Some place with more furniture than a bed and a mini bar...where I can make you dinner rather than have it brought up by room service." 

"The place where a man you're none too crazy about lives only a few floors above." 

"Fox, I believe you when you tell me that Skinner means us no harm. I'm okay with it." 

"Baby, are you sure?" 

Alex looked the concerned man right in the eyes. 

"I'm positive." 

Fox planted a tender kiss on the younger man's lips then hugged him to his chest. 

"Okay. Let's take it." 

The two men left the bedroom and found the manager in the kitchen, talking on his cell phone. They waited patiently while he finished his call, then he turned to them, smiling. 

"So. You come to any decisions?" 

"We'll take it." 

"Very good. There's some paperwork to be done, referrals and all that..." 

"No problem. Actually, one of your tenants is my boss." 

"Oh, yeah? Who's that?" 

"Walter Skinner." 

"The Assistant Director with the FBI?" 

"Right." 

"Excellent. I'll speak to him this evening, then." 

Fox nodded, taking the rental agreement from the other man, and the application. 

"I'll just leave you alone to fill that out. I've got some things to take care of, and I'll be back in about half an hour or so?" 

"Fine." Fox shook the man's outstretched hand, then Alex. 

When the manager had left, the two men stood at the counter, filling out the application. They finished long before the other man returned and decided to have another look around the place. As they stood in the spare bedroom debating over its possible uses, another presence made itself known. 

"Agent Mulder." 

Both men stopped talking and turned in the direction of the voice to find Skinner standing in the doorway. 

"What are you," Fox began, surprised to see the A.D. "Why aren't you at work this time of the day?" 

Skinner shrugged. "I had nothing pressing this morning, so I thought I'd come over and see how you liked the place." His gaze shifted and rested and the third man. "How're you doing, Krycek?" 

"Fine," Alex answered, his response barely audible as he inched closer to Fox, leaning into his warmth. 

Skinner nodded but said nothing more to the younger man. He watched Fox slide an arm around Alex's waist and pull him closer, brushing a soft kiss into his hair, and he cleared his throat, looking away for a moment before returning his attention to the couple. 

"I ran into the manager at the elevator downstairs. He said you wanted the apartment. I answered a few questions for him." 

"Thanks," Fox replied. "Yeah, it's the best apartment we've seen by far." 

"I think you'll like it here. The building is kept in excellent repair, and if you do need maintenance, they're very efficient." 

"Good to know." 

Quiet up till now, Alex decided to speak. 

"What are the neighbors like?" 

Skinner looked to the younger man, surprised that he was addressing him. 

"The neighbors?" 

"Yeah. Management obviously isn't discriminatory, which is part of what made me feel good about the place, but what about the neighbors?" 

Skinner shook his head and shrugged. 

"I really...I don't know. Everyone is pretty quiet and seems to mind their business. I mean, they're pleasant enough and say hello if you pass them in the building, but I'm not on friendlier terms than that with any of them, so I can't really answer that for you." 

Alex nodded then retreated back into silence. 

"So. Uh...Agent Mulder, when you're finished here, will you be coming into the office?" 

"Yeah, I will be. I've got a few things that should get done today. I should get in sometime after lunch, and I do need to see you for a minute." 

"All right, then. I'll be in my office for the rest of the day." 

Hand in hand, the two men accompanied Skinner to the door, running into the apartment manager as the A.D. stepped into the hall. 

"Leaving so soon, Mr. Skinner?" 

"Yeah, I just stopped by to see how they liked the place." 

The man nodded and took the application that Fox held out to him. 

"This stuff is just a formality, really," he said, holding up the papers. "I have every intention of making sure that your friends here are approved." 

"Thank you." 

"No problem," the manager replied, giving Fox a friendly smile. "If you're okay with the Assistant Director, you're okay with me. You'll like it here. It's a good building. Clean. No trouble. Well, except for a that incident a few years ago, but it was just and accident." 

"Incident?" 

"Yeah, well, some guy fell off a balcony." 

All three men stared blankly, saying nothing for a moment, then Fox gathered his composure and spoke. 

"Really." 

"Oh, yeah. It was just an accident, like I said, but some nut called the police saying that somebody hanging off a balcony...Mr. Skinner's balcony in fact, threw somebody else off." The man let out a hearty laugh. "Can you imagine that? How insane would somebody have to be to hang off a balcony that far up, and jerk another guy over the rail?" 

Silence. 

"Anyway, as far as I know, nobody ever figured out what the guy was doing here, or whose balcony he actually fell from. It happened in the daytime while just about everybody was at work, so...sounded more like a suicide to me, but what do I know, huh? So, since then security has been beefed up, and there hasn't been a single problem since." He looked to each of the men. "Hey, I hope I didn't just make you change your minds about the place. My wife always tells me I don't know when to shut up." 

"No," Fox answered, lightly squeezing Alex's hand. "Things like that happen everywhere, right? You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that's gone on in my building." 

Unseen, Skinner raised and lowered his eyebrows in confirmation. 

"Okay, good. Well, it should just take a day or two to process this, and then I'll be in touch, okay?" 

"Great." 

The four men walked into the hall, the manager locking the door behind them, and with a round of cordial good-byes, they went their separate ways. 

"Well," Fox said as he and Alex walked to their car, "I guess we can start packing. He seemed pretty gung-ho about us getting in there." 

"Yeah." 

"I almost fell over when he started talking about the balcony incident." 

"I know," Alex said softly. "I didn't know which way to look." 

"Well, you looked a lot cooler than Skinner or I." 

"How anxious do you think he'd be to have us as his tenants if he knew that I was the one hanging off Skinner's balcony, and it was me who threw that man off?" 

"No more anxious than if he knew that I was at the center of all the stuff that went on in my building." 

They reached the car and, approaching the passenger's side door first, Fox unlocked and opened it for Alex. When the younger man was seated inside, he shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. 

"We're going to need to get some big boxes," Alex commented as the older man slid into his seat. 

"Yeah. They usually have a bunch of them sitting outside of the supermarket. We can stop there and see after we have some lunch." 

"You're supposed to go back to work after lunch." 

"The market's on the way. It won't take much more time." 

The two had a quick lunch then drove by the market only a few blocks from Fox's building and picked up as many boxes as they could fit into the car. 

Leaving Alex at the apartment with the promise that he'd return as soon as he could, Fox traveled back to the Hoover Building and headed straight for Skinner's office. 

The pleasant redhead looked up from behind her desk and smiled at Fox as he walked into the outer office. 

"Good afternoon, Agent Mulder." 

"Hey, Kim. Is he free?" 

"At the moment he's in with..." 

Before the secretary could finish her sentence, the door opened, and Scully walked out, followed by Skinner. She stopped in her tracks, staring for a moment at her former partner. 

"What're you doing here?" 

The secretary looked from one Agent to the other, shocked at the cold as steel tone in the male's voice. 

"You'll be happy to know," Scully stated softly, "that I'm transferring to the lab." 

"So, I still have to deal with you once in a while?" 

"Uh, Agents, this is no place to do this," Skinner interrupted, noting the look of stunned curiosity on his secretary's face. 

Fox cut the woman one last venomous look then turned and headed into the A.D.'s office without another word. The door closed behind the men, and Scully stood quietly seething for a seconds before spinning and stalking out into the hall, slamming the outer office door as she did. 

Kimberly sat motionless for a number of seconds, trying to absorb what she'd just seen and heard, then, glancing quickly at the A.D.'s door, she picked up the phone and pressed three buttons. 

"...Hey, Dawn? This is Kim. You got a second? You're not going to believe what just happened over here..." 

* * *

Skinner took his seat, folding his hands on top of his desk, and eyed his lone agent. 

So strange to think that Mulder would never be sitting here again with Scully in the chair next to him, trying to make scientific sense of the reports he'd filed. 

Well, she'd brought it on herself he'd supposed, but still, he couldn't help feel just a bit uneasy about it. He was not a man who took well to change. But on the other hand he could certainly understand Mulder's unwillingness to deal with her any further. He wasn't especially thrilled with her either after what she'd done to Mulder. 

And, God, to Krycek. 

Skinner had spent many an hour since that day, reliving those few minutes he'd spent at Scully's apartment, trying to keep the devastated man from killing her. 

The excruciating pain in his voice. The wild, tortured look in those beautiful eyes... 

"Sir?" 

Skinner blinked, shaking himself back into the present. 

"Sorry. What did you want to see me about?" 

"First, thank you for the putting a word in for us with Mr. Jergen." 

Skinner nodded and waited. 

"Second...I didn't ask you that day, I was...I was too concerned with Alex to think about anything else, but...you were still there at Scully's when we left." 

"Yes." 

"What happened? Did she talk to you? Did she say why she'd do such a hateful thing?" 

Skinner shook his head. 

"She said that she didn't send the pictures. That the men she'd brought here had to have taken their own and sent them." 

"So, you know basically what happened." 

"Yes." 

"I'm surprised she told you so much. You said she brought those men here. Brought them here from where?" 

"You don't know?" 

"No. But I need to." 

"Why?" 

"So I can find them." 

"Mulder...you don't need to." 

"I do. I can't let them slither into the wood work and never pay for what they did." 

The tone of his voice. The look in his eyes was colder and more frightening than Skinner had ever seen. 

"Mulder, let it drop. Take care of Krycek and forget all about those men." 

Fox sprang from his chair and glared down at the older man. 

"Could you?" 

No answer. 

"Could you? If someone had done to someone you love what these fuckers did to Alex, could you let it go?" 

Skinner bowed his head for a moment then looked up, but not directly at his agent. 

"No." 

"No," Fox repeated. "Then how can you ask me to? Please, Walt. If you know anything. Please tell me." 

//What're you going to do?// 

Skinner heaved a long sigh before speaking. 

"Sit down." 

Fox took his seat and waited. 

"They're from California. Krycek knew at least one of them. The one who...who actually..." 

Fox shook his head in confusion. "He said he didn't recognize the guy." 

"Maybe he didn't. He knew him as a...a customer. I would assume that a good many of them were just faceless strangers to him. But I'm a little surprised that he didn't remember this one. He'd left the bastard with a permanent limp for some reason or other, and the man wanted revenge. I don't know the details of how Scully found this particular person, but as far as I know, he's no longer here. I would assume he's gone back to California." 

Fox looked at the A.D., confusion wrinkling his brow. 

"She told you all this?" 

"Some of it." 

"Some of it? What about the rest?" 

"...He told me." 

"He. Alex?" 

"No. The man who did it." 

Fox stared silently, for the moment unable to process what Skinner was telling him. Then... 

Slowly rising from his chair, Fox leaned over the A.D.'s desk. Their faces now inches apart, his eyes burned into the other man's. 

"You saw this guy? You..." His frown grew deeper. "You knew what he did to Alex?" 

"...Yes." 

"When did you know?" 

//No turning back now.// 

"The night it happened." 

Kimberly nearly jumped out of her skin as a deafening ruckus began in the A.D.'s office. She rose from her chair and moved on shaking legs to the door, listening. 

"That was over a fucking month ago!" Fox roared at the seated man. "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why did you let Alex suffer with this all this time?" 

"I'm sorry, Mulder, I truly am. I should have told you, I should have, but I couldn't without..." 

"Without what?" 

A soft knocking started, drawing both men's attention to the door. 

"A.D. Skinner, are you all right?" 

Skinner sighed softly, running a hand over the top of his head and swiping away the fine sheen of perspiration that had formed there. 

"I'm fine, Kim." He looked to his infuriated agent. "I know you're upset, Mulder, but try and keep your voice down." 

"Oh, you think I'm upset?" Fox shouted, ignoring his boss's direction. "What the fuck makes you think Im upset!?" His voice suddenly lowered, but not for the sake of the secretary outside. "You couldn't tell me without what?" 

"Mulder, this really isn't the place to do this." 

The younger man glared icy hot daggers at him. 

"How much worse is it?" 

"Let's go down to your office." 

"The basement?" Fox asked, barely maintaining his cool. "I guess you expect a whole lot more yelling." 

"Mulder, please. Let's just go downstairs, and I'll tell you everything." 

The secretary jumped back from the door as it opened, and a wild-eyed Agent Mulder stalked out, followed by her boss. Skinner held a hand up, giving her a look meant to reassure as he followed the other out of the office, but all Kimberly could feel as she fell bonelessly into her chair was terror. She'd never seen Agent Mulder like that before, and she was damn sure she'd never want to see him that way again. 

"What do I do?" she asked herself softly, as she wrung her hands nervously. 

Not knowing the answer, she sat and waited, and prayed that Skinner would be able to diffuse Mulder before he really exploded. 

* * *

Fox threw the door open and blew into the office, spinning around just as Skinner closed the door behind them. 

"All right, let's have it. You couldn't tell me without what?" 

Skinner drew a long, deep breath, and he looked up at the irate man. 

"Mulder, please understand. I...when this first began with you and Krycek, I was shocked to say the very least." 

"You're stalling." 

"No, I'm trying to say this so that you'll understand. Please listen." 

Fox folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the front of his desk, eyeing the older man like a tiger waiting for its prey to make one fatal move. 

"I didn't get it. I couldn't fathom a relationship between the two of you. I was sure that Krycek was manipulating you fifteen ways to Sunday, and I saw him as Scully does. Lying, dirty dealing, duplicitous, cheap whore, who was only trying to take you for anything he could get. Like Scully, I didn't want to see him ruin you." 

Fox emitted a soft, hissing laugh. 

"You're a little behind, I see. Scully wanted just a little bit more than that." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Alex. She wanted Alex. She did that shit to him for one reason, and one reason only. To blackmail him into sleeping with her." 

" _What_?" 

"I can see you're surprised," Fox said flatly. "Imagine _my_ shock." 

"When did you find this out?" 

"Alex told me. That night I found him at Scully's." 

"Have you confronted her about it?" 

"No." 

"Why not?" 

"I don't think I can. Not without wanting to snap her little neck." 

Christ, he really wasn't making this any easier to say. 

"We're getting off track," Fox said, that eerie calm still in his tone, making Skinner actually wish he'd start yelling again. "Continue with this story of yours." 

The older man licked at dry lips then cleared his throat. 

"Uh...as I was going to say before, I couldn't tell you that I knew what had happened without telling you that..." Skinner closed his eyes for a brief moment, praying for the best. "...that I was there." 

Fox cocked his head, the blood raging through him. 

"You were where?" 

"At your building. After the fact," he added quickly. "I saw the one who limped coming from your apartment, and I confronted him. Before he could answer, his buddy stepped off of the elevator carrying a couple of cameras and some device in his hand. They ran. The other one got away, but I tackled the one with the limp, and he started giving me some bullshit story. I wasn't having it, I threatened him, and he started to sing." 

"And then what?" 

"I...I let him go." 

"You let him go..." 

"Please believe me when I tell you, Mulder, that I wish with all my heart that I hadn't. But when he said that it was Scully who had brought him there, I couldn't hold on to him without seriously implicating her in what they'd done." 

"So, you..." Fox stopped, trying to compose his thoughts, then he started again. "You let this mother fucker, who had drugged and raped Alex just..." He snapped his fingers then gave a brief toss of his hand. "..leave. Because you didn't want to get Scully into trouble. Have I got this so far?" 

"Basically, yes. And because I...God, there was no way that I could explain my presence there." 

Fox blew out a hard breath. 

"Yeah. Yeah, Walt, let's talk about that. What were you doing there when you knew I was away? And did you even go inside to check on Alex to at least make sure he wasn't dead?" 

"Yes. I did. I went inside to check. He was out, Mulder. He didn't know a thing. His pulse was steady, and when I touched him, he started to stir. I found a used condom on the bed, there beside him, and I flushed that, then pulled the sheet up over him and left." 

Skinner looked up at the younger man, knowing that he was now waiting for the reason he'd been there. 

"I'd...I'd gone over there in the first place to...wait, I have to back up a little. I'd been there before." 

"When?" 

"Not long after the two of you returned from California. Just after you'd returned from suspension. I'd gone there to confront him," he continued quickly. "I wanted to know what it was he thought he had to gain by being with you. I wanted him to tell me. To admit that he was up to no good. But he insisted that he loved you. I refused to believe it. Was so sure that he was lying. 

"He was so arrogant. He taunted me, and I was so angry. Angry at him, and angry that he could tick me off so much. I wanted to knock him down a notch or two. I caught him by surprise and got him against the wall..." 

Fox's heart pounded triple time, and his hands clutched the edge of the desk so hard that they'd turned a bluish white. And he said nothing. 

Skinner looked up into the fixed and severely dilated eyes, and a shiver passed through him. But he had to finish. He might leave this office in a bag, but for Mulder's sake, and Alex's, he had to tell the other man everything. 

"And it...it was like that night all over again. That night at my apartment. I didn't know what to do with all the anger. I was pressed against him. The feel of him...his scent..." 

He thought he'd be dead by now for sure. 

"But umm...he said he'd kill me. Said *you'd* kill me, and I don't know, I just sort of snapped out of it. I left, but the feeling stayed with me." 

Fox spoke. 

"And you waited until I'd left town to try again." 

"Try again. No, I...I don't know if...Mulder, this is no excuse, but you said it yourself. He's tempting as hell without even trying. I couldn't...Christ, I couldn't help myself. And I couldn't understand why. I truly despised him, and I swear I'd have been happier than you know to have him out of your life. And mine. Yet, I'd get near him, and I'd just want to... 

"But something happened that night. That second night I'd gone to your apartment and found him lying there unconscious and so vulnerable. I saw him that night for the first time as a person. A victim. I was...God, I was furious at what those men had done to him. I wish I had held onto that little bastard, but what's done is done. As much as I'd like to go back and undo it, I can't. Im sorry, Mulder. You'll never know how sorry." 

Fox remained silent for some time, bowing his head, resting his chin against his chest. When he finally looked up at the other man, there was a mixture of fury, hurt and confusion in his eyes. 

"I don't get it," he started softly. "What is it with you and Scully? You hate him, you despise him, you want to jump him, you couldn't give a shit less that he's mine..." 

"I didn't believe it," Skinner explained. "I mean, I knew that as far as you were concerned he was yours, but I really thought he was using you. I was positive that he didn't care a bit about you. And I guess that maybe somewhere in my clouded mind, I figured that made him fair game. Until that night, Mulder. And most especially a few nights ago. Any doubts that may have lingered about Krycek's feelings for you were obliterated the night I walked into Scully's apartment and found him there. Jesus, he was so completely destroyed." Skinner looked Fox directly in the eyes, willing the younger man to believe him. 

"I realize now that he does love you. And I swear, Mulder, on my life, I won't do anything to ruin that." 

"Why should I believe you?" Fox asked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"I didn't have to tell you any of this," Skinner answered. "I didn't have to try and help that night at Scully's. I want to make it right. I want to see the two of you make it past all of this and be happy." 

"Uh huh. So, all of a sudden, you just don't want Alex any more. He holds no more attraction for you." 

"I...I'd be lying if I said I didn't still find him incredibly attractive. But I'll never act on it. I have new respect for what's between you." 

"You know, if you had believed me from the beginning, a lot of this might have been avoided." 

"You must understand, Mulder, how incredible it seemed. Alex Krycek. In love with you. One hundred percent committed to a monogamous relationship with you." 

Fox lowered his head and sighed. 

"I believe that if you could go back and change the way things went down, you would. But what happened, happened. And I could beat the shit out of you for what you did. And what you didn't do." 

"I know, Mulder, I..." Skinner walked over to face the younger man head on. "If you want to punch me, go ahead. I deserve that and worse." 

Fox studied the older man for a long moment, wondering if Skinner thought he really wouldn't do it... 

There was no time to brace himself as Fox's fist whistled through the air and connected with his jaw, spinning him one hundred and eighty degrees, and sending him stumbling into Scully's desk. He leaned over the oak surface for a moment, trying to get his bearings, then he straightened up and brought his hand up to his throbbing face. 

"Shhhhhit." 

"You're going to come with me," Fox instructed the disoriented man. "We're going to go to my apartment, and you're going to apologize to Alex." 

Skinner nodded silently. He followed in Fox's wake as the younger man blew out the door, keeping up with his purposeful strides. Reaching the parking garage, each man got into his own car, and Skinner followed Fox straight to his apartment. 

Pulling up in front of Hegal Place, he sat quietly, gathering his wits for a few seconds, then got out of the car and walked to meet the man who waited for him on the steps outside of the building's main entrance. 

Saying not a word to Skinner, Fox turned and entered the building. He rang for the elevator, and the doors opened immediately, allowing the two men to enter. 

"I need something else from you," Fox announced as the doors closed. 

"What do you need?" Skinner asked, wincing slightly at the pain in his jaw. 

"Scully's pictures." 

"Why?" 

"I know Alex must have destroyed the ones that were sent to me. I didn't ask him, but I don't find them anywhere around. I need something to show around once I get to California." 

"Mulder..." 

"And I need you to cover for me. I'm going to tell Alex that I have to go out there on a case." 

"How would you explain going without him? You said you wouldn't travel anymore and not take him with you." 

"I plan on asking him to go. He'll refuse. He'll tell me he's fine, and that he should stay here and get the apartment set up." 

"You seem very sure of that." 

"I am." 

"Mulder, you shouldn't be going out there." 

"I'm going. And you're the only one who knows about it." Fox gave the older man a cool stare as the doors opened. "Time to redeem yourself, Walter. You gonna do it?" 

They stepped into the hall, one man facing the other. 

"Jesus," Skinner whispered, then, "When are you going?" 

"Get those pictures from Scully as soon as possible. As soon as we've moved into the apartment, I'll tell Alex that I've got an important case on the west coast." 

Skinner sighed as they started slowly toward Fox's door. 

"I don't like this, Mulder, I don't..." 

"I don't love it much either," Fox cut in. "But you put me in this position by not holding onto that bastard. Now, you owe me." 

Fox unlocked the door as soon as they reached the apartment, and the two men walked in to find much of the place packed up. 

"Alex?" Fox called, looking around as he moved to the middle of the living room. 

The younger man emerged from the kitchen carrying a box and stopped cold in his tracks when he saw that Fox wasn't alone. The smile fell from his face, and he looked from Skinner to his lover, who had since moved to his side. 

"You got a lot done," Fox said softly, taking the box from Alex's loosened grip and lightly kissing the younger man. 

"Yeah, I uh..." Alex closed his eyes briefly, trying to compose his thoughts. "..the manager from this building called a little while ago to let you know how much of a penalty we'll have to pay for breaking this lease." 

Fox nodded. "Is he really going to sock it to us?" 

"No. No, not really. Since the lease was up..." He paused, sending an uneasy glance Skinner's way. "..umm...up soon, he didn't charge any ridiculous amount." 

"Good." Fox set the carton down on the dining room table and took Alex's hand. "Come here." 

The two men walked into the living room, followed by Skinner, and Fox guided Alex down to the sofa, sitting beside him. 

"Skinner has something he wants to say to you." 

Wary green eyes rose to the other man's face, and Alex frowned, noting the deep bruising around the left corner of his mouth and part of his cheek. 

"Krycek, I..." Skinner stopped, blowing out a long breath then began again. "I want to apologize to you. What I did to you. I never should have come here that day. I had no right to touch you, and I...I misjudged you. I didn't think you were worthy of the consideration one would give a dog. I was wrong." 

Alex's gaze dropped to the floor. 

"What made you come to that decision?" 

Skinner looked to Fox then back to Alex. 

"I know what happened to you. Not because Scully told me, but because I was here that night. I saw the two men. I had one of them, and I let him go." 

Alex cocked his head, not quite believing what he'd just heard. 

"You what?" 

"I let him go. Im so sorry, but I...I couldn't...Scully was involved, and I would have to explain my own presence here. But after I came inside and found you, I'd wished that I had held on to him. And the other day at Scully's place...I'd never seen you as human before. Never thought it possible that you could love or hurt. That day I saw both. And I realized that you and Mulder were for real. 

"I want you to know that I am truly sorry for harassing you and for treating you like a...the way I did. And I promise I'll do everything I can to keep a lid on Scully. Though I doubt that after you nearly killed her the other night, she'd try anything else." 

Alex shrugged. 

"It's understandable that you would treat me the way you did. To a large extent your distrust and hatred of me are more reasonable than Fox's feelings." 

Skinner watched Fox lean in and rest his forehead against Alex's temple before depositing a soft kiss on the younger man's cheek. 

"Mulder told me that things were different," he countered after the men returned their attention to him. "That you weren't who we'd known. I believed that he believed it, but I was so sure he was being suckered." 

Alex nodded. "So...I don't have to ask what you were doing here the night Fox was away." His gaze shifted to the side of Skinner's face. "But uh...you didn't look like that a few hours ago." He looked to Fox. "What happened?" 

Skinner answered before Fox could. 

"Your uh...your boyfriend here has a worse temper than I'd imagined. It's okay," he said, holding up a hand as Alex's head snapped back and forth between the two men. "I had it coming. Im not going to suspend him or anything." 

"That's not what I'm surprised about. I told you not to think you could mess with me and expect Fox to just blow it off. What surprises me is hearing you call him my boyfriend." 

"I've pulled my head out of the sand so to speak. I have to learn to fully accept every aspect of your relationship, and I will." 

Skinner went silent, and Alex lowered his head, looking at the floor. Fox sat quietly as well, drawing his hand gently up and down Alex's back. Finally the younger man lifted his head and looked to his lover. 

"Do you believe him?" 

"Would you think I was crazy if I said yes?" 

"I guess not," Alex murmured, momentarily losing himself in the tranquil green and amber of his lover's eyes. 

"You don't seem especially pissed." 

Alex shook his head, covering the older man's hand with his own. 

"You were apparently pissed enough for the both of us." 

Fox lowered his gaze and said nothing. 

"I already knew about him, Fox. It came as no surprise to me." 

The older man looked up into his lover's eyes. 

"I wish you had told me, baby. I know that you were thinking of me, but I hate that you've carried all of this around by yourself." 

"I know. Im sorry, Fox. I just...like you said, I couldn't do it to you. Your life had already been shaken up so drastically. Scully and Skinner were closer to you than just about anybody, and I didn't want to be the cause of any trouble between you." 

"Any trouble between Skinner, Scully and me, they caused themselves." 

Skinner watched as Fox tenderly petted his lover's hair. 

Soft, silky, dark hair. Thick, matching eyelashes sweeping shut as the hand slid down and around to the lightly stubbled cheek. 

He wanted to look away. He tried, but he was mesmerized by every touch...every look that passed between the two, and when Fox leaned forward and covered Alex's mouth with his own, he felt his legs weaken. 

A moan rumbled in Alex's throat as Fox's mouth moved slowly over his, and his hands came up the older man's back, stroking longingly over its length. Only the soft coughing of the third man drew them apart. 

"I'm going to leave now. I've got some work to finish." 

The two men rose and escorted the third to the door. 

"I'll get back to you about that case we discussed," Skinner said as he stepped into the hall. 

Fox nodded, pulling Alex into his side, and as Skinner looked on, Alex wound his arms around his lover's waist and laid his head on his shoulder. 

"I'll wait to hear from you." 

Skinner made no move at first, eyes still trained on the two in front of him, but the ringing phone startled him out of his hypnotized state. He cleared his throat softly and walked away, hearing the door close. He stopped then, leaning against the wall and drawing a few deep breaths. 

Jesus Christ, why did he have to be so fucking gorgeous? And why did they have to be so goddamn hot together? 

He gritted his teeth, praying for the ache in his pants to subside. 

//All right. All right. Think cool thoughts. Snow. The ocean in spring. Ice cube...sliding over Krycek's smooth chest...circling one nipple then the other, making them hard and stiff...// 

//...Mulder blowing your balls off with his service revolver...// 

"Okay, that last thought was a sobering one." 

Pushing himself away from the wall, he walked to the elevator and looked back at apartment forty-two. 

//And they're going to be living in your building soon? What fun that'll be.// 

The door opened, and Skinner stepped inside, sighing audibly. 

Now to find Scully and threaten those pictures out of her. 

* * *

"Hello?" 

Alex listened to the caller and looked to Fox, nodding his head. 

"Uh huh. All right then, thanks for getting back to us so soon. In a couple of days, I'd say. Yeah. Thanks again." 

Alex hung up and gave his lover a soft smile. 

"Our application's been approved already. We can move in whenever we want to." 

"Wow, that was fast," Fox replied, moving closer to his lover and drawing him into his arms. "Do you still want to?" 

"Yeah, I...what about you? You've had a bigger shock today than me." 

"Yeah. All things considered, it'd be kind of stupid to want to move into Skinner's building. He's admitted to me that he's still attracted to you. But I believe him when he says that he'd never try to come between us, and he'll never again treat you the way he did. It's a big, nice place. It's close to work, and it's more secure than this hole." 

"So, it's settled." 

"No," Fox murmured, "it isn't. Now I know what happened. I know that you might never trust Skinner, and I understand completely. We don't move into that apartment unless you give the word." 

Alex studied his lover for a short while then leaned forward, resting against his chest. 

"Im fine with it. I believe that Skinner'll behave himself." He pulled back and kissed the older man's chin. "I think he's sure now that you'll kill him if he doesn't." He pulled away and stared at the older man, eyes shining. "You slugged him good." 

"He deserved a lot worse. But I can't ignore the help he's given us either." 

"I know." 

Alex tried to suppress a smile. 

"I guess I should be ashamed of myself but..." 

"But what?" 

"I kinda felt this little tingle when I saw what you did to him." 

Fox smirked, gently running his hand over the small of his lover's back and a bit beyond. "A tingle, huh?" 

"Maybe a twinge." 

One golden-brown eyebrow arched while the other waited. 

"Okay, it really, really turned me on." 

Fox chuckled softly and nuzzled Alex's cheek. 

"What do you say we leave the packing for a little while?" 

"Don't you have to go back to work?" 

"No. Not really." 

"What about that case Skinner mentioned?" 

"He's got to review it first, then he'll contact me." Fox took Alex by the hand and led him to the door. "Come on. Let's go back to the hotel for a while. Then we can hunt down some more boxes." 

"We don't have to wait that long," Alex argued, hanging back a bit. "It's okay if we stay here." 

"Well, not really." Fox's smirk turned lascivious. "I'd packed up all our toys and took them with us, and I find myself suddenly in the mood to play." 

"Oh yeah?" Alex asked, rubbing himself against the older man, making his own arousal known. 

"Mmm hmm. I have this very strong desire to see you cuffed face down to the bed, squirming while I spank your pretty ass." 

Alex's breath left him in a low moan as he cupped Fox's ass with both hands and writhed against him. 

"Let's go." 

Grasping one of the younger man's wrists, Fox spun around, jerking him along as they headed out of the apartment and toward the elevator. Minutes later, they were on their way to the Saint Gregory, where Fox would spend the rest of the afternoon teasing Alex to the very brink of insanity. 

When the younger man finally lay exhausted and motionless, Fox lifted himself from the bed and picked up his cell phone. He punched in Skinner's number and slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. 

"Skinner." 

"It's me. Have you seen Scully yet?" 

"No. I told you I'd call you when I did." 

"Yeah, well it's been hours. What's the hold up?" 

"I hadn't been able to reach her until just a few minutes ago, actually. I'm on my way over to her place in a little bit. I'll call you after I meet with her." 

"All right. I need those pictures, Walt." 

"I know that. As much as I disagree with your plans, I'm going to do everything I can to help you. I'll call you when I get back from Scully's." 

"All right. Uh...thanks." 

Fox disconnected, turned the phone on vibrate, and inched the bathroom door open. He crept into the room and over to the bed, where Alex lay in the same position Fox had left him in. A half smile curved the older man's lips, and he lowered himself to the bed, curling himself around his sleeping lover. Phone in hand, he closed his eyes and waited. 

* * *

The redhead groaned as she looked through her peephole and found one of the last people she really wanted to see right now, standing at her door. 

//Open the door. You know he knows you're here.// 

The lock clicked, and Skinner watched as the door inched open. 

"What do you want?" Scully asked through the six-inch opening. 

"To talk to you for a minute." 

"Haven't we said all we needed to say?" 

"Not quite. " 

Scully stared but made no move to let him in. 

"I'll make it as quick as possible." 

Sighing heavily, Scully swung the door open and allowed Skinner to enter. Leaving the door open, she walked toward the kitchen. 

"Okay, well, I know you're not here to see how I'm getting along in the lab, so..." 

"I'm here for the pictures," Skinner broke in as he shut the door, stopping the woman in her tracks. 

"The pictures?" 

"And the negatives." 

"Why do you want them?" 

"To make sure they're out of your hands," he answered, unwilling to tell her the whole reason. 

"What happened to your face?" 

"Little accident. Now, please just give me the pictures." 

"What makes you think Mulder would be any more comfortable with them in your possession?" 

"I'm going to give them to him and let him destroy them." 

"What a pal." 

"I'm trying to be. God knows you've failed miserably." Skinner looked at the woman, shaking his head. "I know now why you did what you did. But Scully, Mulder is..." he amended his statement. "..was...your best friend. How could you let your lust for his lover come between you?" 

Scully blinked, thrown by Skinner's extended knowledge of the situation. 

"There are going to be lots of things throughout our lives that we'll want," Skinner went on. "And we'll get some of those things. But not all of them. And we can't go around hurting people to try and get them the way you have." 

"It wasn't my intention to hurt Mulder." 

"But you didn't stop when you realized that it was inevitable, did you? You couldn't. You wanted Krycek. Period. And you were going to get him. If Mulder got hurt in the process, oh well. You did hurt him, Scully. Severely. You hurt him when you hurt Alex, and it's perfectly understandable that he would want nothing more to do with you." 

Scully folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head. 

" _Alex_." 

No response. 

"Okay." She walked away, tapping at her forehead with her middle finger. "Okay, I'm getting this now." She spun around, glaring at the man. "You've got a thing for him." 

Still nothing. 

"I'm right, aren't I? You've got the hots for Alex. And Mulder found out about it, didn't he? And he clocked you. That's what the bruises on your face are." She gave Skinner a venomous smile. "That's what Alex was talking about that night, wasn't it? When he said fuck you, then said, you'd probably like that. And that explains why you were so sickeningly sweet to him." She snorted. "How noble of you. Wanting him to be happy even if you couldn't have him." 

"They love each other," Skinner answered. "Deeply. I've awakened to that fact. They won't be happy with anyone but each other. And I want them both to be happy." 

"Nice. So Krycek has now got you as well as Mulder seeing stars. Oh, he's good. Two of the last people in the world I ever thought..." 

"And what about you?" Skinner broke in. "Seems you're the one who's gone completely around the bend." 

"For the record, I haven't lost my mind. All I wanted from Krycek was sex. It's you and Mulder who are all ga-ga over him. And as far as I'm concerned, that's far more dangerous. You've both lost sight of who it is you're dealing with." 

"Krycek is not who he was," Skinner argued. "But I didn't come here to do this with you. Give me the pictures and the negatives." 

Scully stood her ground, glaring up into the determined face. 

"Don't make any more trouble than you already have, Dana," Skinner warned. "It will not end well for you." 

The woman emitted a soft, bitter laugh then left the room. She was back seconds later, shoving a large envelope at her visitor. 

"It's all there," she hissed, watching him check the contents. 

"I'd prefer to see for myself." Skinner resealed the envelope then looked down at the redhead, compassion sneaking in past the stern tone in his voice. 

"Forget about him, Scully. Count yourself fortunate that you aren't dead or sitting in prison, and move on." 

"While Krycek and Mulder trip happily into the sunset." 

"It's not going to be all wine and roses from here on out for them. Not yet. But it'll be a little easier for them to get there if no one is purposely trying to sabotage them." 

"What are you going to do? Stand guard outside of Mulder's apartment?" 

"I'm going to leave them alone. I strongly suggest that you do the same." 

Skinner fixed a warning stare on the woman then turned abruptly and left the apartment, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room. 

Staring at the door, Scully stood frozen, digging her nails into her palms, and when the pain finally began to register, she spun around, searching wildly for something to throw. 

Finding nothing within her immediate reach, she tore into the kitchen and threw the utensil drawer open, yanking out the liner and scattering silverware over the floor and table. Screeching, she grasped the two nearest cabinet doors and jerked them open only to slam them shut again. She repeated the action several times, stopping only when one knob came off in her hand. She then flung the object across the room, watching it bounce off the wall then hit the edge of the table and clatter to the floor. 

"Fuck you, Skinner," she panted, gritting her teeth until her jaw hurt. "Kiss my goddamn fucking ass!" 

And as for the other two... 

Soon. Just as soon as she figured out how... 

* * *

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